"Come Holy Spirit" Conference: Professional Speakers Need an Audience
/Here's yet another conference... the Holy Spirit will "show up" and it'll change the whole world and stuff. If you go to this thing you'll never be same, blah blah blah...
Okay, let's just be honest: These people are professional speakers and if you don't buy tickets to this thing, they won't make any money.
Here's what the title page says for this conference:
So they ripped Acts 1:8 out of context and applied it to this conference! Here's more of the passage:
“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. (8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”
In the very next chapter of Acts, the Holy Spirit (really) fell on people:
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
So the thing that this passage is pointing to has already happened. Read the rest of this chapter-it's an amazing passage of Scripture! We don't need to keep begging the Holy Spirit to fall (unless you want to sell more tickets to yet another conference).
The Holy Spirit has come.
These professional speakers don't want you to know that. They continually tell you that you don't have enough of the Holy Spirit until you buy tickets and go to their events and buy their books and get lulled into a semi-hypnotic state by the soft-rock worship team and then listen to people talk a lot, tell outlandish & unverifiable stories, and twist God's Word while they brag about how humble they are.
By the way, if you're really interested in getting more you can spend an extra $79 for the Premier Ticket to have one "meet and greet session" with a Super Apostle; maybe you'll get an "anointing" or "mantle" or "impartation" or something.
Most of the 2nd chapter of Acts is the Apostle Peter's terrific sermon, where he tells people the hard truth that they've rejected the Messiah, Jesus, and are guilty of crucifying Him. This is what follows:
“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”